The UK DRI’s flagship digital care platform Minder has launched a new NHS service, MinderCare, in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. MinderCare offers remote, at-home monitoring for people living with dementia. It is hoped the service can lead to more appropriate interventions and earlier treatments for those affected.
MinderCare uses a network of sensors installed in the home to send data back to a dedicated team of doctors, nurses and other clinical specialists. This team use the information to better understand how the person is managing their daily routine, provide tailored advice and identify early signs of changing health and care needs which may help reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
The person with dementia is provided with a network of smart home devices which are connected via the internet. It includes door, appliance and movement sensors, which can capture trends in movement around the home and during basic household tasks, such as making a cup of tea. There is also a sleep mat, which sits under the mattress, tracking sleep disturbances, detecting movement and measuring breathing and heart rates. None of the devices record sound or video, maintaining the individual’s privacy, and they have a discreet design to avoid interfering with daily life.
This new service provides access to a cutting-edge technology system, informed by over 10 years of research and underpinned by clinical care and support, including infrastructure support from the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre. Minder has been developed by researchers at the UK DRI Centre for Care Research & Technology at Imperial College London, led by Prof David Sharp, in partnership with clinical teams at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. MinderCare is funded and supported by the not-for-profit medical research charity LifeArc.
We need to develop new ways to care for people living with dementia. New technologies can support our existing dementia services to provide more responsive and personalised care. MinderCare is an exciting partnership between the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust that trials a radically new way of dementia care that is anchored in the hospital but reaching out into people’s homes, with the aim of delivering cost-effective care that improves quality of life and reduces hospital admissions.
Centre Director
Edith’s story
Edith, 83, was diagnosed with dementia a couple of years ago and lives with her son Lee, 54, in West London. Edith’s care is overseen by specialists at Charing Cross Hospital and she’s been using the MinderCare service for the past four months.
Edith said: “It’s reassuring to know that the hospital team are looking out for me at home, especially when Lee isn’t here.
“I’ve had a couple of falls in the last two years and some trouble with my breathing. So I’ve had to spend quite a bit of time in the hospital. The nurses suggested trying these sensors to help me at home – so they can make sure I’m doing OK.
“It took a bit of getting used to – the sensors on the wall flash sometimes and I needed to adjust the matt under my mattress. But I don’t really notice them too much now.”
MinderCare aims to enhance the quality of life for people living with dementia and their families, by offering medical teams access to data that could help maintain independence for longer for many by identifying areas they may need more support with. This can also provide much-needed reassurance for families and friends.
Data is reviewed every day by the MinderCare monitoring team, which has been sent from the individual’s home system directly to the Minder platform – a dedicated and secure digital research platform which analyses information from the various devices to provide detailed insight. This integrated data helps the monitoring team identify any trends or patterns that might indicate a health and care need so that it can be escalated quickly for further review and intervention if required.
Commenting on the research behind the new service, Professor Ramin Nilforooshan, Consultant Psychiatrist at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Chief Investigator for the Minder study, said:
“At SABP, we are incredibly proud that our award-winning Technology Integrated Health Management research, and subsequent collaboration with the UK DRI on the Minder study, form the foundations of service developments such as MinderCare. We remain committed to transforming dementia care through innovative technologies that enable earlier interventions, enhances continuity of care, and promotes better quality of life for patients and those who support them.”
The new NHS service will aim to enrol 100 patients by September 2025, as part of a study establishing the feasibility of continuing and expanding the service within North West London.
Source: Imperial NHS Trust